[EVENTS & ENTERTAINMENT]

Theater company Lee Quing-zhao the Private’s (李清照私人劇團) latest project, Liu San-mei (劉三妹), is about three former “comfort women” (a term used to describe women from Japanese-occupied regions who were forced to provide sexual services to Japanese soldiers during World War II) who are haunted by the past. Male actors in drag perform traditional operatic gestures and chant Hakka mountain songs and Hoklo ballads. The work is adapted from the television series of the same title, which won an award for Best Art Director at last year’s Golden Bell Awards.

▲Red House Theater (紅樓劇場), 10 Chengdu Rd, Taipei City (台北市成都路10號)

▲Tomorrow and Sunday at 2pm

and 8pm

▲Tickets are NT$600 or NT$400 for students, seniors and persons with disabilities, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw. Ten percent of the proceeds will be donated to Taipei Women’s Rescue Foundation (婦女救援基金會)

Ren Shin Co-op’s (仁信合作社) latest work, I Am My Own Wife (我的妻子就是我), is based on US playwright Doug Wright’s play of the same title. It tells of the life of German transvestite Charlotte von Mahlsdorf, who survived the Nazi and Communist regimes in East Germany. Ren Shin Co-op was founded two years ago by eight graduates of National Taiwan University’s theater department.

▲Tickets are NT$400, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw

The Free Journey (自由行) is a solo performance by Yu Shan-min’s (于善敏) that mixes jazz, tango, rock ‘n’ roll, bossa nova and the musical numbers to tell the story of a traveler’s journey.

Highlight

Get your imaginary ax ready: The Taiwan Air Guitar Championships takes place at Carnegie’s in Taipei on July 11. The preliminary round started last week in Kaohsiung, where Scott “Indie Mayhem” Weatherall took first place. He will be at Carnegie’s next weekend, waiting to compete with the winner of the Taipei round for the championship.

The winner becomes Taiwan’s first ever Air Guitar champion and receives a free round-trip ticket to Oulu, Finland, where he or she will represent Taiwan at the Air Guitar World Championships.

July 11’s event includes performances by The Money Shot Horns and Rock in Hose Burlesque. There will be drink specials and prize giveaways throughout the evening.

Those 18 years old and older are welcome to participate, but spaces are limited and registration will be closed on the day of the event. For more information or to register, go to www.airguitar.com.tw.

Linkin Park, Hoobastank and The All-American Rejects are among the bands playing at the 2009 Summer Rock Summit (夏日搖滾高峰會) set to take place on Aug. 11 and Aug. 12 at Taipei World Trade Center’s Nangang Exhibition Hall (台北世界貿易中心南港展覽館) and on Aug. 13 at Banciao Stadium (台北縣立板橋體育館) in Taipei County. Also scheduled to appear is Japanese band Vamps, a side project of Oblivion Dust guitarist KAZ and L’Arc-en-Ciel vocalist Hyde. Tickets are on sale now through ERA ticketing. A Taipei Times interview with Linkin Park singer Chester Bennington will run in this coming Wednesday’s Style section.

▲Tickets for Vamps concerts are NT$1,200, NT$2,400 and NT$3,600; tickets for Linkin Park concert are NT$1,600 to NT$4,500

▲Tickets available through ERA ticketing outlets, online at www.ticket.com.tw, or at 7-Eleven ibon kiosks

--Ron Brownlow

The third Grass Festival (草地音樂節) takes place in Ilan County tomorrow and Sunday at Dasi Elementary School (大溪國小) in Honeymoon Bay (蜜月灣). The festival’s four stages (two in the school, two on the neighboring beach) will showcase four genres: indie-pop, rock ‘n’ roll, post-rock and folk. It’s a great opportunity to become acquainted with some of Taiwan’s best underground acts, ranging from the Taiwanese folk and punk-tinged musings of LTK (濁水溪公社), to the fuzzy indie rock of the 88 Guava Seeds (88顆芭樂籽), to the powerful effects-laden post-rock of Aphasia (阿飛西雅). Consider it a musical sampler plate. This year’s theme is “children’s songs,” so the bands will weave some childhood classics into their performances. In addition, Dasi Elementary School summer camp students are putting on a shadow play, an artist’s market will be set-up for vendors and two movies will be screened: Annaluise and Anton from Germany and Tricks from Poland. A barbecue, seafood, ice cream and beer will provide fuel for the audience while volleyball and swimming complete the beach experience. For more information, visit www.grassfest.net

▲Tickets are NT$500, available through NTCH ticketing or online at www.artsticket.com.tw

The last two installments of Blue Dragon White Tiger (青龍白虎三世纏鬥), a six-part performance by the National Guoguang Opera Company (國立國光劇團), take place this weekend. The production recounts the ancient legend of two mythical beasts, the Blue Dragon and the White Tiger.

▲Tickets are NT$200 and NT$300, available through ERA ticketing or online at www.ticket.com.tw

The latest stand-up comedy production by Comedians Workshop (相聲瓦舍), The Unmatchable Mates (兩光康樂隊), stars Feng Yi-gang (馮翊綱) and Sung Shao-ching (宋少卿) as two villagers forced to provide entertainment for the night after the village’s movie projectionist is thrown into jail for stealing from his boss.